Archive for Landscape Photography

The Grampian Range

April 4, 2013Landscape PhotographyLeave a comment

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On my way… and the top of the Grampian Range two thousand meters above sea level reveals a spectacular moonscape.
Survival of the fittest goes to the lichens in beautiful hues of red, orange. yellow and green.

The rock formations are amazing, shattered into shards by water seeping into cracks and freezing
leaving the landscape in a constant state of turmoil.

One of New Zealands largest hydro electric power generating lakes, Lake Benmore can be seen in the distant background.

On a balmy norwest day this is a special place!

Muster at Irishman Creek

March 5, 2013Landscape PhotographyLeave a comment

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On my way… and the long, hot New Zealand summer has high country farmers moving their stock on dry and dusty days.

New Zealand’s highest mountain Aoraki/Mount Cook can be seen in the distant background
towering over the vast alpine tussock plains.

The Mackenzie Country is a magnificent environment to live and work in, despite the stark reality of the seasons and with the ominous sign of the Rowan trees abundant in berries this autumn, locals are anticipating a harsh winter to come.

Lindis Light

February 7, 2013Landscape PhotographyLeave a comment

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On my way… and this view of the Lindis Pass validates the nearby town of Omarama
as “Place of Light”, a reference to its extraordinary clear and pure sky.

Omarama is primarily a rural service centre but, in recent years there has been expansion in tourism including fishing, skiing and as a world-class gliding venue.

In 1995 the town hosted the World Gliding Championships. It has seen several national and world gliding records achieved there and the prevailing conditions attracted record seekers such as Steve Fossett.

The spectacular and often rugged landscape of the Lindis Pass has numerous artists visit the area trying to capture the essence of this “Place of Light”.

Lake Pukaki Mood

January 23, 2013Landscape PhotographyLeave a comment

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On my way… and Lake Pukaki reveals another mood.

This image has me asking the question. How many elements make a successful picture?
I count only three, the horizon line, the water depth post and the water and sky are counted as one because they are essentially the same in tone and form.
Surely at least two elements are required to hold our interest in an image… although I remain open to be moved by a single element in a story.

I am drawn to minimal compositions within the landscape. Through our busy lives and even in the natural worlds infinite complexity, simple forms are hard to find.

Lake Pukaki Storm

January 13, 2013Landscape PhotographyLeave a comment

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On my way… towards the Southern Alps of New Zealand and chasing the fury of a westerly storm.
I recall the highest wind gust recorded in New Zealand, 250 kph at Mount John beside Lake Tekapo (my back door) in 1970.

Today is surely a threat to that record. Standing up, opening and closing a vehicle door was simply life threatening. This is yet another reminder of the wrath of nature and in these moments of fleeting weather and light, I am constantly inspired. The ferocity of the wind makes use of a tripod irrelevant and I look for anything heavier than a man to brace against. The continually changing elements of light, colour and form in a composition is not so much a hindrance, but an opportunity to capture a fraction of infinite possibilities speedily presenting themselves.

Tip: Look at scenes like this through polaroid sunglasses, whether or not you are looking for compositions with a photographic eye you will enjoy the view with much stronger contrast.

A few hours later I return to Lake Tekapo to find out the wind gust record was indeed under threat with gusts of up to 230 kph recorded.

Lake Tekapo Church

January 1, 2013Landscape PhotographyLeave a comment

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On my way… and with the Connie Lupin (see previous post) in full bloom around the “Church of the Good Shepherd” Lake Tekapo, New Zealand a dramatic view is created with an approaching storm in the background. The church was built in 1935 after a request from locals to the Anglican Vestry Reverend W.E.D Davies. The foundation stone was laid by the Duke of Gloucester in the same year and since then the location has been the idyllic setting for hundreds of weddings.

The late afternoon foreground light against the dark background created a natural contrast. Along with the glacial silt blue of the lake and the vibrant mauve of the lupins, all the elements combine to give a dramatic feel to the image.
These are the types of images I enjoy making. I like to have tension between the light and dark within the image, especially where the dark is dominant over the light. Light is so strong, an image only needs a small amount for it to command attention. Dark has to work harder and so I like to give it more space.

Connie Lupin – Lake Tekapo New Zealand

December 5, 2012Landscape PhotographyComments Off

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On my way… and thinking, any photographer near Lake Tekapo at this time of year could not leave out the obligatory Lupin photo from their image library… and I wasn’t going to be the first.

Known locally as Connie Lupin, this annual burst of colour is named after Connie Scott of Godley Peak Station. In the 1950’s Connie imported a sack of Russell Lupin seed, a variety from the UK and spread it throughout the district creating a decoration in a dun landscape.

Thank you to Phil Brownie for his contribution, Phil’s considerable social history and geographical knowledge of the Mackenzie Country make for interesting back stories.

Dawn at Irishman Creek

November 28, 2012Landscape PhotographyLeave a comment

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On my way…through Irishman Creek and at dawn, it feels good to be a New Zealander.

Bill Hamilton was an intrepid New Zealander and would have experienced the magic of dawn at Irishman Creek many times. His most noted achievement was the development of the modern jet boat along with a successful car racing career.

With an engineering background, Bill, aged 23 and with a loan from his father bought a station at Irishman Creek in the Mackenzie Country. There he set up a workshop which turned into a factory in the middle of no where and perfected many exploits, such as a water sprinkler, New Zealand’s first ski rope tow and an air compressor to name a few.

The hero subject of this image is in no doubt the sky. The composition and colour of the clouds demand attention while the surrounding landscape falls away in significance but helps give a sense of scale.
There is a beautiful quietness about this time of day that you will have to draw on from a past experience to complete the picture.

The Face of Aoraki Mount Cook

November 21, 2012Landscape PhotographyLeave a comment

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On my way…to Aoraki Mount Cook and looking up I see a face (draw a line down from top/centre to near the top of the mountain, click on image for a larger preview). It bothers me. I see such a cold and lifeless expression and interpret it as a warning…this is not the time to be on this mountain.

Looking at the landscape this way reminds me of seeing animals in the clouds and reading tea leaves…and smoking them? You may ask.

Although from time to time I’m sure we all look at the landscape and nature for signs in a way that makes us feel we are part of something, a connection…real or imagined.

Newly Designed Online Photography Portfolio

November 14, 2012Landscape PhotographyLeave a comment

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On my way…home to Lake Tekapo and near Irishman Creek, this amazing scene unfolded just as the sun was about to set behind the Southern Alps. The stormy sky and the low evening light on the tussock created a simple composition around the power pole.

The power pole in isolation inspired the title “Ascent of the Mackenzie”. I saw it as representing the beginning of New Zealand’s thirst for energy and transforming part of the Mackenzie Country into a major hydro electric power development.

Hi, I’m Kevin Bowie.

Welcome to my newly-designed online photography portfolio! With collections of new photographs alongside client favourites, my aim is to present to you the New Zealand landscape as fine art photography. My blog will tend to be brief and in a format that will simply show an image supported by a back story. The back story will have relevant content such as location, time and especially the thinking and craft essential to realise an image in print.

I’ll begin each PhotoBlog with “On my way…” many images are captured in places where photography was not my primary goal and… on my way…the weather, the light and landscape combine to create beautiful moments of serendipity I can not resist.

I also want to share with you inspiring websites, technique & tips I have stolen along the way and any thought-provoking work from the art world.

Your feedback and any discussion will be very welcome, I look forward to talking with you.

Kevin.

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